Rolling-mill



A. D. STEVENS.

ROLLING Ml-LL. APPLICATION min NOV. 9. 1920.

1,367,838. Patentd Feb. 8,1921.

' i0 0 10 a .12, \12, I

PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR D. STEVENS, OF JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA.

ROLLING-MILL.

Application filed. November 9, 1920.

T 0 all who-m may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR D. S'rnvnns, a citizen of the United States, residing in Jacksonville, in the county of Duval and State of Florida. have invented an Improvement in Rolling-Mills, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to rolling mills of that character wherein a top roll cooperates with two bottom rolls and is movable with relation thereto to compensate for unequal feeding of the material into the mill.

Rolling mills of the character described, are especially adapted among other uses to be employed for crushing sugar cane and when so used the top roll is separated from one of the bottom rolls, which latter may be designated the feeding-in roll, a greater distance than from the other bottom roll, which may be designated the discharge roll. Ordinarily'the space between the'top roll and the bottom feeding-in roll is about one and one-quarter inches (1%), and the space between the toproll and the bottom discharge roll is about one-quarter of an inch (3,) The mass of cane passed through the mill is first squeezed to one and one-quarter inches (1%) by the top rolland feeding-in roll, and is then squeezed to one-quarter of an inch (:l") by the top roll and the discharge roll. To allow for unequal feedings of the cane to the mill, the top roll on relatively large mills is made movable with relation to the bottom rolls, and. is usually held down by hydraulic rams, which yield when the maximum pressure desired is exceeded, and the top'roll is moved away from the bottom rolls the same amount, with the result that the relative proportions of the feeding-in and the discharge openings is greatly changed with consequent variations of the squeeze to which the cane is subjected, thereby greatly impairing the efliciency of the mill.

The present invention has for its object to increase the efliciency of rolling mills of the character described and also to reduce the weight, size and cost of the same.

To this end, provision is made whereby the ratio between the feeding-in and discharge openings in the mill is maintained substantially constant under all conditions of use, irrespective .ofthe variations in the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 1921.

Serial No. 422,780.

width of said openings due to movement of the top roll away from the bottom rolls.

In the present instance, a preferred construction or arrangement for accomplishing this result is shown and will be described in detail hereinafter.

Figure 1 represents a rolling mill embodying this invention. 7

Fig. 2, a diagrammatic view on a smaller scale of the rolls shown in Fig; 1, and

Fig. 3, a view like Fig. 2, with the top roll moved away from the bottom rolls to enlarge the feeding-in and discharge openings, while maintaining the ratio between them substantially the same.

Referring to the drawing, a represents the top roll and Z), c, the bottom rolls of a mill embodying'this invention. The rolls a, b, 0 are mounted at each end in a housing or upright d sultably secured to a base e. The top roll a cooperates with the rolls 6, c, and forms therewith openings 10, 12, which may be designated the inlet and outlet openings respectivcly, the inlet opening 10 being larger than the outlet Opening 12 and usually about one and one-quarter inches (1%) and the outlet opening being usually. about one quarter of an inch The top roll a is movable away from both rolls 7), c, and is normally held down by hydraulic rams, one of which is represented by the plunger 13, which cooperates with the end bearing 14 for the roll a. I

The bottom rolls Z), c, are connected together so as to move as a unit, whereby the ratio between the inlet and outlet opening 10, 12, may be maintained substantially the same irrespective of the variations in the size of said openings, caused by unequal feeding of the sugar cane into the mill.

In the present instance, one construction or arrangement for accomplishing this result is shown, which consists of a movable frame composed of substantially. parallel rods or bolts 15, 16, extended loosely through and beyond the sides of each housing or frame (Z above and below the journals 17, 18, of the rolls Z), c. The bolts 15, 16, are extended through suitable caps 19, 20, which are preferably extended into openings 21, 22, in the housing d and slide therein, and

said caps carry adjusting screws 23, 24,

which engage bearings 25, 26, for the jourmale 17, 18, which bearings are mounted to slide in the openings 21, 22.

The caps 19,20, ar e positioned and re:

taincd on the rods or bolts 15, 16, by nuts 27, 28, which are arranged so that the caps are separated from the sides of the housing d, and said bolts and caps form a floating frame, which is movable laterally with relation to the housing under all conditions of use, and which floating frame is connected with the bearings 25, 26, for the rolls b, c by means of the screws 23, at, so that movement of the floating frame in one direction under the influence of one roll, effects move ment of the other roll in the same direction and thereby renders these rolls floating rolls.

The bolts 15, 16, may be encircled by springs 30, 31, between the caps and housing, to assist in moving the rolls back into their normal position. In operation the floating frame and rolls a c are adjusted so as to position the rolls Z), c with relation to the top roll a and obtain the desired width or size of inlet and outlet openings 10, 12,

which may be one and one-quarter inches (171) and one quarter of an inch (l") respectively. Y

The cane entering the mill is crushed between the top or pressure roll a and the feeding-in roll I), and then passes over a turn plat-e40 to the discharge roll 0 between which and the top roll a the cane is passed and fed out of the mill, being still further crushed by the rolls a, 0. The turn plate 40 is such as is commonly used in sugar cane mills. The position of the rolls a, b, 0 under normal conditions is represented in Fig. 2.

WVhen an excessive quantity of cane is fed into the mill, the pressure roll a is moved upwardly, away from the bottom rolls 6, 0, and the feeding-in roll 6 is moved laterally away from the, pressure roll 0., thereby enlarging the inletopening 10 as represented in Fig. 3. At the same time the feeding-in roll 6 is moved away from the pressure roll a, the discharge roll 0 is moved in the same direction as the roll I) by means of the floating frame above referred to, thereby moving the discharge roll 0 toward the top or pressure roll a so as to maintain the ratio between the inlet and outlet openings 10, 12, substantially the same, as represented in Fig. 3.

When the quantity of cane fed into the mill again becomes normal or is reduced from the excessive amount, the feeding-in and discharge rolls Z), c, are simultaneously moved in the opposite direction, which may be effected by the springs 31 or in the absence of the springs, by the cane passing through the outlet opening 12.

Itwill thus be seen that the feeding-in and discharge rolls 6, 0, are capable of simultaneous movement in the same direction,

and automatically divide the pressure of the top r011 equally between them, thereby giving the same pressure on the material on each roll under all conditions of use and irrespective of unequal feeding of the material into the mill.

Furthermore by means of the floating frame and feeding-in and discharge rolls connected thereby so as to move as a ulnt, the size, weight and cost of the feeding-in and discharge rolls may be materially reduced without weakening the mill, as the housing for the top roll is not subjected to excessive strains, as is the case where the feeding-in and discharge rolls are rigidly held, as in mills as now constructed and known to me, for in such mills the feeding-in and discharge rolls must be of the same strength as the top roll, since any jamming or clogging between the top roll and either one of the rigidly held bottom rolls brings the entire strain of the top roll on that bottom roll, and the reaction of the whole side strain of this roll to the housing jaws of the top roll, whereas in the present mill the strain is always equally divided and does not come on the top housing at all.

One construction of mill embodying the invention is herein shown, but it is not desired to limit the invention to the particular construction shown.

Claims: 7

1. In a rolling mill, in combination, a feeding-in roll, a discharge roll, a pressure roll cooperating with both and movable with relation thereto, a housing in which said rolls are movably mounted, and a floating frame carried by said housing and movable with relation thereto and cooperating with said feeding-in and discharge rolls to be moved in one direction by movement of the feeding-in roll away from the said pres sure roll and to effect movement of the discharge roll in the same direction and toward said pressure roll as the feeding-in roll is moved away from the latter.

2. In a rolling mill, in combination, a feeding-in roll, a discharge roll, a pressure roll cooperating with both and movable with relation thereto, a housing in which said rolls are movably mounted, and a floating frame carried by said housing and cooperating with said feeding-in and discharge rolls and comprising substantially parallel bolts extended through said housing and beyond the sides of the same, caps connecting said bolts at opposite sides of said housing and separated from the latter to permit movement of said frame with relation to said housing, and adjustable means carried by said caps and cooperating with the said feeding-in and discharge rolls to connect the latter rolls together to move as a unit with relation to said pressure roll under the influence of unequal feeding of the material into the mill.

3. In a rolling mill, in combination, a feeding-in roll, a discharge roll, a pressure roll cooperating with both and movable with relation thereto, a housing in which said rolls are movably mounted, anda floating frame carried by said housing and cooperating with said feeding-in and discharge rolls and comprising substantially parallel bolts extended through said housing and beyond the sides of the same, caps connecting said bolts at opposite sides of said housing and separated from the latter to permit movement of said frame with relation to said housing, and adjustable means carried by said caps and cooperating with the said feeding-in and discharge rolls to connect the latter rolls together to move as a unit with relation to said pressure roll under the influence of unequal feeding of the material into the mill, and springs interposed between said caps and the said housing to move the floating frame and rolls in the opposite direction.

4:. In a rolling mill, in combination, a feeding-in roll, a discharge roll, a pressure roll cooperating with both and movable with relation thereto, a housing in which said rolls are movably mounted, a floating frame cooperating with said feeding-in and discharge rolls to connect them together to move as a unit and arranged with relation to said housing to permit said frame and said feeding-in and discharge rolls to be moved with relation to said pressure roll by an excess of material fed into the mill.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ARTHUR D. STEVENS. 

